Leslie McDonald may be ready to return to the Tar Heels, according to a published report

At least one half of the ongoing eligibility saga of North Carolina basketball players P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald has finally come to an end.

The NCAA has ruled that McDonald is eligible to return to the Tar Heels starting with tonight’s game against Texas at the Smith Center after sitting out the first nine games of the season. In addition to the suspension, McDonald will have to “repay $1,783 to a charity of his choice for receiving numerous impermissible extra benefits.”

Among those benefits were the use of luxury cars, payment of parking tickets, a cell phone and lodging. He was also being investigated for having his image used in advertisements by a company that makes designer mouthpieces.

McDonald is primarily a 3-point shooting specialist who has averaged nearly six points per game off the bench during his career at UNC.

As for Hairston, the news does not appear to be as optimistic. The NCAA’s release stated that UNC has not yet applied for the junior swingman’s reinstatement.

A report by Yahoo Sports report, however, indicates that it is looking more and more apparent that Hairston — who led the Tar Heels in scoring last year — may not play at all this season. If that’s the case, he is expected to declare for the NBA draft.

Hairston was suspended indefinitely by coach Roy Williams on July 29 because of his role in several highly publicized incidents, including two that involved him driving cars rented by convicted felon Haydn “Fats” Thomas or one of his associates.

Hairston

UNC has not commented publicly on the ongoing situation, other than to issue a statement saying it is “an ongoing compliance issue that the university and the NCAA are working on together.”

Williams said last week that he’s stopped trying to figure out when or how things might be resolved with Hairston and McDonald.

“I’m trying not to waste my time thinking about that,” said Williams, whose team is 7-2 with wins against national powers Louisville, Michigan State and Kentucky without Hairston and McDonald. “I’m sure that the NCAA would like it to be over with, too. But there’s no update, nothing else. We’re just staying the course. I’m sure they’re trying to do everything they can, too.”